Hello there. I hope everything is well with you.

I am still very much in the world between, awaiting two family funerals and feeling in that liminal, in-between place. My mind has been drifting through past memories and thinking about cherished people and places.

Thankfully, nature remains a constant solace to me, especially at this time of year when everything is utterly teeming with life. Plus, there is so much to celebrate, even amidst the quietness of grief. Some wins include the recent release of the Champion Species badges and artwork. It’s great to see them making their maiden flights out into the world.

My garden, in particular, has been a gentle friend, nurturing me over cups of tea. They say gardening is all about hope, and for me, it’s another place where hopeful daydreams can take root. I’ve been envisioning the future of my little sanctuary, picturing a Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) romping over an imaginary pergola, its fragrant blossoms cascading down. Then the delicate, pale peach blooms of David Austin Rosa ‘Desdemona’ or ‘Scarborough Fair’ gracing the borders. Uff, such dreams!

I’ve also been musing about adding a wildlife pond into the mix, or perhaps even building a small waterfall from some old, forgotten rocks. It is easy to get carried away from the comfort of a deck chair with a cup of tea. In my defence, I suspect we have a resident frog who would greatly appreciate it if we did manage something. It’s going to be like giving him a complimentary room upgrade!

Yet, in all of these internal musings, I’ve been keeping some notes of the treasures seen in the last week or so. Here is my list of small but mighty wonders:

• Common Blue Damselflies (Enallagma cyathigerum) mating.
• Elderberries (Sambucus nigra) getting ready to begin ripening, their clusters promising future cordials.
• Wasps (Vespula vulgaris) busily chewing up nearby wood.
• The striking spikes of pale pink foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea ‘Dalmatian Pink’) standing tall.
• The vibrant hues of Candelabra Primulas (Primula japonica) adding umbrella pops of colour.
• My very first sunflower, a beacon of my birthday month of August, turning to face the light.
• Harvesting the last of the garden strawberries, a fleeting, sweet treat.
• Local ducks happily feasting on the strawberry tops, proving that nothing goes to waste in nature’s cycle.
• Lots of sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) pods now that the flowers have gone over, hinting at new life to come. Reminding me to deadhead more aggressively!

Another thing of hope is the promise of a future harvest. Our blueberry bushes (Vaccinium corymbosum) are laden with fruit, the berries swelling and soon to be deepening in colour, just a week or so away from becoming a favourite in our home-baked experiments.

Finally, life did feel amplified this week under the light of the full moon. It reached its peak on the 10th of July – a powerful Full Moon in Capricorn, grounding all this buzzing summer energy. This moon phase was still high in the sky on Thursday and Friday, a big, glowing disc, illuminating the path forward on some clear night skies here.

In times of grief, it can feel like the world has stopped, but nature reminds me that cycles continue, new things are ahead and I feel blessed to be here to experience them. As the poet Mary Oliver wrote, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”. It’s a question to live by. To find small ways to honour the people I’ve lost and to plant seeds of hope, literally and figuratively.

Until next week!